Top



Nov. 4, 1930. I M, ALLAND 1,780,547

l TOP Filed oct. 11. 192s f' "UNlTiE-j i l roulette top with acavity containing one or whilespinning.

PafeetedNov. 4,' 1930 'Y i l i`r178i0541 i' TENT orifice l MAURrcEALLnND, @ATLANTIC cirY, New ,rEgSjEY Y f tot f1 l Appli-cation mea obtener ii, 192s. serial Ne'isinsaiv. i

The'object of the invention is to` provide said recesses, dueto theifloor 4of 'saidfcavity improvements in spinning tops, and particubeinggconvex.v larly in those .whichare used forvthe playing l ith these general obj ectsand principles of games. Such games may be of any characoi!` construction in mind, the.y invention conn.;

o ter for which the construction ofthe top is -prisesfurther-details fof construction and 55 suitable and may be` given any desired names operation such as are ullybrought outin the i depending upon the rules governing and the following descriptiomwhenfreadin conjunc` method of playing jthe particulargames in tion with the accompanying drawings, Vin mind. However, purely for the purpose or", which Fig. lis a top plan view ofthe so-called lo illustration, and without in any degree limitroulette top, a portion ofv ,which Ais broken 60 Aing the scope of the invention, the two forms away to show the shape of theiinterior'; Fig.

of tops herein disclosed willbe referred to as 2 is a central vertical sectionof the same in dice and roulette tops, since amongnumerous the position.assumedwhile spinning; F 3 games of entertainment which may be played is a top plan view of the so-called dice top, a

l with the present'devices, the tops are adapted portion of which is broken away to showfthe -65 for use in playing' those games which are shape of the interior;'Figliisav central ver:r l sometimes played with roulette wheels and tical section of thesame in the positionas dice. g Y sumed while at rest and Fig., 5 is an vele- An object has been to provide a so-called vationalview showing the positionof` the top more of movable elements and having circum- RFr11gt0Figsl and 2 of thev drawings, feyentally positioned peripheral.. recesses, a hollow member is shownk as comprising ya* with means to manually set the top in mfosubstantially cylindrical y,wall l, having in-V i l tion, and a relatively pointed extension upon .Wardly directed circumterenti ally positioned which the top is Aadapted to spin aslong as its' recesses preferably.Cylindrical insbape, the 75 inertia of rotation is suliiciently maintained, lowergendportion ofsai'd'wall being spanned after which the top is adapted to fall 1119.011] a lQQltOm 73113, havinga depending rela? one' side and they elements move by gravity., tively'pointed projection l andv an upwardly into a corresponding number oi said recesses, positioned concave 'innen surface- 5, upon I the floor of the said cavity being preferably which` rest any desired number of balls or v`S0 concave, so as to maintain the movable eleother Jform ofmovable elements 6.. ,y ments centrally positioned while the top is The .111910811 peripheral Portion of thewa'll Spinning. Y y l Aterminates in'y a restricted CylindriCalange Another object has been to provide a modi- 7, 4adapted to receive the peripheral portion fied form of so-called dice top having acavity of a transparent closure member S7 which is 85 containing one or more movable elements and SCCUIe-f DQ Said hollow member by spinning having circumferentially positioned recesses, Q1 Otherwise inwardly'deflecting the free edge with means to manually set the top spinning, pOltlOl 7' 0f' SlCl Y lftre- EXlJllflDg i lill? and a flattened or substantially'cylindrial wardlyxfrom `the central portion ofthe' clo .i .-40 extension upon which the'top is adapted to :sure 8 is an integral projection 9,'a'dapte`dto `90.

rest in upright position while not in motion, ,be manually keingegebdk for the purpose of imbut ywhich extension partly oounterbalanced partlngt. the top a Spinning vmot-ion. o by said spinning means operates to lprevent Tlll} ]3pel" SPW-fa@ Ofulffll Wall l ili- OD@ PH, l the top from spinning in an upright position 1s provided withv any suitable means such as as does the roulette top, but instead causesv a pill' Wlicliextends intofa recess rvll in 95 the ltop to spin upon" a` portion of its outer theclosuffe 8- andoperates to positively preperiphery, until its .inertia of rotation diesV vent relative movement between saidhollow l down and the top falls again upon said flatl memberand its closure.. The. result of this tened extension, at which time the saideleconstruction is thatV when` the-manually 'env ments roll into a corresponding number voit gageable projection `9'fis"rapid-ly rotated, a l0() similar rotary motion is imparted to the other portions of the top and as long as sufficient rotary linertia is maintained, the top will spin upon the pointed projection 4 in the position shown in Fig. 2, and due to the concave nature of the surface 5, the balls or similar movable elements 6 remain in the center of the top.

However, when the inertia of rotation decreases below a crit-ical point, the top tilts and falls toward one side until it rests not only upon the projection 4, but also upon a portion of the peripheral edge 12, at which time the movableelements 6 roll into a cor responding number of recesses 2. The recesses entered by said elements are not necessarily adjacent, as said elements enter said recesses while the top Vcontinues to roll slightly upon the edge 12. Also, it will be noted that the upper surface of the wall 1 is provided with any desired set of numerals, letters, or other symbols to indicate points won or lost in playing a given game, the symbols being read as they may correspond with the positions of the respective elements 6 after coming'y to rest upon the cessation in the ro- \-tation of the top.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, a second form of top is illustrated as comprising a hollow portion having a preferably cylindrical Awall 15, provided with circumferentially positioned preferably semi-cylindrical recesses 16 in its-innerl face, .the lower edge portion 17 of said wall being spanned by a bottom wall. 18, the upper surface 19 of which is convex, while the lower surface is provided with a unitary projection 2O having a flattened base surface 21.

The upper free end of the wall 15 is restricted to form a slender cylindrical flange 22, adapted toreceive and to be mechanically spun or Vturned over the radially outer free edge portion of a preferably transparent closure 23, from the center of which closure rises an axial extension 24E, which is adapted to be manually gripped for the purpose of setting the top in motion. The upper portion of the wall 15 at one point is provided with a pin or lug 25, which extends into a recess 26 in said closure and thereby forms a positive means for preventing the relative rotation of the hollow portion and its closure.

Within the top there are positioned any desired number of movable elements such as the balls 27 and these, when the top is at rest in upright position as shown in Fig. 4, gravitate radially outwardly into a corresponding number of the recesses 16. When the 4top is spun by means of the extension 24, since it does not have a pointed extension such as that of the top shown in Fig. 2, it tends to turn upon one side of the cylindrical wall 15 and spins, in a position approaching that shown in Fig. 5, no doubt due partly to the fact that the weight of the extension 24 par- 'ravitate into a corres Ondine number of the recesses 16. As the upper surface of the wall 15 is provided with numerals, letters, or other symbols adjacent to the respective recesses, the positions assumed by the elements 27, after the top has fully come to rest, indicate symbols by which the particular game is played, such for instance as points to be moved, or scores to be allowed to the respective players, it being Vunderstood in each instance that thel balls 6 and 27 can vbe of different colors or other `identifying characteristics if so desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is A top, comprising a cylindrical wall having spaced recesses and spanned by a bottom wall having a depending flattened projection and a convexinnersurface, a transparent closure for the upper open portion of sait top provided with an extension for manually setting .the top in motion, means carried by said first-namedl wall and engaging said closure to prevent .relative rotation therebetween, and a gravity actuated element upon said convex surface adapted to roll radially into Vone Vof said recesses when the top rests upon said flattened projection.

In testimony whereof I have aiiiXed my signature.

MAURICE ALLAND. 

